fender vs ernie ball flatwound strings

Thaos627 · #1 07-08-2011, 02:59 PM

please explain i wish to have strings thats low and heavy like reggae and ska and with very little to no brightness.

Thaos627 · #2 07-08-2011, 03:38 PM

Marton · #3 07-08-2011, 03:41 PM

Not in your choices, but I would try Labellas flatwounds for that sound.

Thaos627 · #4 07-08-2011, 03:43 PM

yes i know of labellas but i do need some middiness to them for an edge but not like most roundwounds.

better question what strings are the opposite of dean markley's blue steels?

rickenbaker · #5 07-08-2011, 03:43 PM

out of your choices I'd go with the fenders. at least the old ones I tried were some of the darkest sounding strings I've ever tried. Very dubby

Thaos627 · #6 07-08-2011, 03:46 PM

i like the sounds ive heard of them but they were used on old hollow body gretches so it makes everything sound dubby. ive heard one person use them and they seemed ok but they were just compared to chromes and i hate chromes they r just flat roundwounds (sound wise)

DavePlaysBass · #7 07-09-2011, 06:28 AM

The new Fenders flat are made by D'Addario and the reports are they are very similiar to Chromes. I have played the EBs and Chromes and find them to be very similar. The EBs and Chromes have a bit of high end for flats. But in a mix they are not all that bright IME.

mmbongo · #8 07-09-2011, 08:33 AM

DR Flats

PBnJBassist · #9 07-09-2011, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass

The new Fenders flat are made by D'Addario and the reports are they are very similiar to Chromes. I have played the EBs and Chromes and find them to be very similar. The EBs and Chromes have a bit of high end for flats. But in a mix they are not all that bright IME.

I could have sworn there was a huge thread that debunked if the new Fender flats were made by D'Addario, but yes, I will agree that they are very similar. The only differences I've been able to hear is that Chromes are brighter and (to my ear) are more noticable in the mix. Fender, on the other hand, has that growl that Chromes are missing and their tension is stiffer. Even when broken in, my light gauge Fender flats (.045-.100) were stiffer than my medium gauge Chromes (.050-.105).

EB has some love from what I've seen, but for "little to no brightness," I'd go for La Bella or GHS. I'm currently a GHS thumper and love 'em. One can buy 3 sets of them for the price of 1 set of La Bella flats - totally love that.

johnk_10 · #10 07-10-2011, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass

The new Fenders flat are made by D'Addario and the reports are they are very similiar to Chromes. I have played the EBs and Chromes and find them to be very similar. The EBs and Chromes have a bit of high end for flats. But in a mix they are not all that bright IME.

IMO the new fenders are not made by daddario, and i don't find them to be much like chromes at all. they have a little more tension (for the same gauge) and are much brighter than chromes.

JimmyM · #11 07-10-2011, 09:23 PM

Do the ball ends have different colors? I had heard D'addario was making them now, too. The different color ball ends is supposed to be the giveaway.

johnk_10 · #12 07-10-2011, 09:44 PM

they do have different colored ball ends, but they have different colors than daddario uses.

JimmyM · #13 07-10-2011, 10:00 PM

Hmmm...well that's good enough for me, then. Still on the fence about trying them, though. Waiting to see what you think about them once they die. I loved the old Fender flats, but people tell me they're different now. Fender has never officially said who makes them now, but I believe they did confirm they're being made somewhere else now. What's your take, John? Are you familiar with the older Fender flats?

Thaos627 · #14 07-11-2011, 12:35 PM

i also wondered bout tapewounds not just flats cus u can have a roundwound growl and the soft tape cuts off harshness i just didnt know whether or not they would be better. (labellas r flatwound and tapewound but im a cheap *** and would rather spend less than $60)

iiipopes · #15 07-11-2011, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass

The new Fenders flat are made by D'Addario and the reports are they are very similiar to Chromes. I have played the EBs and Chromes and find them to be very similar. The EBs and Chromes have a bit of high end for flats. But in a mix they are not all that bright IME.

NO THEY ARE NOT DAMMIT!!! I have to put this rumour to bed about once a month here on TalkBass. Fender Flats ARE NOT MADE BY D'ADDARIO! They are completely different, with a different alloy, a different feel and texture, different core, different lateral width to the tape wind, and another forumite has demonstrated with a spectrograph the difference in frequency response of the string, with the Fender CL sets having more growl.

I get a lot of mids and growl to the Fender flats, which are a better fit for the jazz and rock gigs that I play.

As for answering the OP question, if I had your gigs, I'd go with the tapewounds. On an SG or EB3 bass. Played with the thumb.

Thaos627 · #16 07-11-2011, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iiipopes

I get a lot of mids and growl to the Fender flats, which are a better fit for the jazz and rock gigs that I play.

As for answering the OP question, if I had your gigs, I'd go with the tapewounds. On an SG or EB3 bass. Played with the thumb.

thank you. i think your actually the first person to ever answer my question. everyone either tells me to get labellas or chromes but that wasnt the question.

with the SG do u meand Soundgear? it would be SDGR i believe.

have you noticed that people say that just about every string is made by d'addario? as far as im concerned if it doesnt say d'addario then they dont make it.

DavePlaysBass · #17 07-11-2011, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iiipopes

NO THEY ARE NOT DAMMIT!!! I have to put this rumour to bed about once a month here on TalkBass. Fender Flats ARE NOT MADE BY D'ADDARIO! They are completely different, with a different alloy, a different feel and texture, different core, different lateral width to the tape wind, and another forumite has demonstrated with a spectrograph the difference in frequency response of the string, with the Fender CL sets having more growl.

I would love see the details of your engineering analysis on this

You sound like you have quite the laboratory.

I have yet to play the new Fender flats but the colored ball ends is a D'Addario patent. And about a million people saying they sound like Chromes does make it sound kinda like a duck.

Also, the Fender gauges do not line up with the Chromes making it difficult to do a direct comparison. I actually am tempted to go after a ML 50-65-85-100 set as I would prefer a litte more fat on the A and G compared to a 45-65-80-100 set of Chromes.

johnk_10 · #18 07-11-2011, 07:17 PM

i have multiple sets of chromes and multiple sets of the new fenders in various gauges and the DO NOT sound or feel the same. if daddario IS making them for fender, they are a completely different formula.

One Drop · #19 07-12-2011, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iiipopes

NO THEY ARE NOT DAMMIT!!! I have to put this rumour to bed about once a month here on TalkBass. Fender Flats ARE NOT MADE BY D'ADDARIO! They are completely different, with a different alloy, a different feel and texture, different core, different lateral width to the tape wind, and another forumite has demonstrated with a spectrograph the difference in frequency response of the string, with the Fender CL sets having more growl.

I get a lot of mids and growl to the Fender flats, which are a better fit for the jazz and rock gigs that I play.

As for answering the OP question, if I had your gigs, I'd go with the tapewounds. On an SG or EB3 bass. Played with the thumb.

Well, all those things only prove the strings are not the same as Chromes. Nothing you mention shoes they are not manufactured by D'Addario.

My guess is they are made by D'Addario using different specs as specified by our dear fellow forumite who developed the new line of Fender strings.

To the OP I say try a few sets of thumpy flats and get your sound. I can get mine with LaBellas, Sadowskys, old Fenders, old Dean Markleys, and I suspect I could love the new DRs as well. Just because someone gives you a concrete suggestion based on their preferences doesn't make it right for you.

BTW Family Man is a dyed-in-the-wool J player, not P.

mmbongo · #20 07-12-2011, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thaos627

as far as im concerned if it doesnt say d'addario then they dont make it.

You realize that there are only 5-6 actual string manufacturers out there, right? D'Addario is one of the largest OEM manufacturers of strings. They make lots of strings for lots of companies. Fender being one of them. Do they make the flats? I don't know. But they make most everything else for Fender.